Union bosses are locked in a dispute with the council over the alleged handling of cannabis lollipops in Aberdeen schools.
Unite and Aberdeen City Council have been in conflict for months over claims that dinner ladies handled and transported the drug-filled sweets between the city’s Abbotswell Primary and Hazlehead Academy.
But the union has dismissed the accusations against the four staff as “spurious” and claimed the council did not relay their suspicions to the police as dictated by council policy.
Unite has warned that, if an apology isn’t issued, they will consider balloting members on industrial action – potentially leading to a strike.
The union members have been invited to an “investigatory meeting” by council bosses over allegations of “handling and transporting illegal substances”, according to correspondence seen by the Press and Journal.
Despite the incident allegedly happening in November last year, it’s understood a disciplinary process has only just began and the head teachers of the schools were not informed.
The staff at the centre of the probe deny the confectionery contained anything illegal and was merely meant as a prank.
Aberdeen City Council has declined to comment while their investigation is live.
Last night, Unite regional officer Tommy Campbell said: “We will not tolerate our union members suffering continued stress from the misuse of the disciplinary investigation process that amounts to the victimisation of these school catering staff.
“They need to apologise to these staff for the way they have been so badly treated throughout the past four months.
“If the council fails to do that, they face the potential for industrial action in the schools after the summer break.
“Unite are very concerned about the stress our union members have been under for many months whilst being subject to these false allegations.
“We are also concerned the school’s head teachers were not informed of the allegations involving illegal substances in their schools when the allegations first surfaced almost three months ago.
“We fully support our union members who will robustly defend themselves against these false allegations of handling and transporting illegal substances.”
The city council operates a tough anti-drug policy among staff with cautionary suspensions usually handed out over suspicions of drug use.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “These matters are currently subject to an internal investigation process, so we are unable to comment further.”
